Valencia 2 - Recreativo Huelva 0

Valencia: Butelle; Miguel, Ayala, Raúl Albiol (Hugo Viana 71'), Moretti; Marchena, Albelda; Joaquín (Jorge López 90'), Angulo (Gavilán 81'), David Silva; David Villa. 4-2-3-1.
Recreativo: López Vallejo; Merino, César Arzo, Pablo Amo, Dani Bautista; Cazorla (Rosu 78'), Jesús Vázquez, Barber (Aitor 34'), Juanma (Cheli 72'); Uche, Sinama-Pongolle. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: Butelle, Marchena, Angulo for Cañizares, Del Horno, Morientes / Recreativo: Barber for Mario.

Goals:
1-0. 60. Joaquín. Ran on to David Villa pass to shoot wide of López Vallejo.
2-0. 63. Joaquín. Got on the end of David Silva cross to beat keeper again.

Valencia moved back up to the Champions League spots after beating Recreativo 2-0 on Saturday evening. The visitors were chasing the European spots themselves though, and they held their own throughout the first half, creating problems on the counter-attack and defending well. As a result the home side only managed to create two or three chances in the first 45 minutes, with Silva shooting over the top and David Villa firing another effort wide across goal.

Villa felt he should have had a penalty early in the second half when he was pushed by a defender as he jumped up to head wide, but with an hour on the clock the striker ran on to a through ball down the right wing and cut in to set up Joaquín to open the scoring. It was the ex Betis winger's first goal in the Mestalla stadium, but just three minutes later the he got on the end of David Silva's lifted pass to volley home his second of the night. Angulo could have increased the lead when he fired a long shot wide, but by then his side had done enough to take the three points which they needed to return to the top four.